Spring your clock ahead one hour this Sunday!
Benjamin Franklin once noted that by waking up earlier to make use of the morning sunlight, Parisians saved on candles. We see from this comment that the argument for Daylight Savings as it relates to energy consumption–most notably energy from lighting the home–began long ago.
When Bush signed into law a provision that would extend Daylight Saving Time by four weeks beginning in 2007, there were strong arguments for reduced energy consumption. It was estimated that we would possibly save 100,000 barrels of oil per day and enjoy a 1% decrease in energy consumption because people will turn interior and exterior lights on later in the day, thus saving electricity (or candles).
This sounded good to me, so I did not further study this claim. However, these folks did…
What can we conclude from these studies?
Energy savings will rarely come from a provision in a law any President passes (especially former prez G.W. Bush). It is up to us to conserve energy in our homes, at our offices and schools. We can no longer take electricity for granted. It’s time to start scolding one another again for leaving lights on in an empty room. Our grandparents used to–I guess energy frugality skips a generation.
…Oh, and stock up on candles.
Related articles
How the Circadian Rhythm Affects the Environment
All About Daylight Saving Time
Earth Policy Institute: Plan B Efficiency and Conservation Measures Drop Energy Demand by 2020
U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Saving Tips